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  Tom Stout
  VetMB, MA, PhD, Dipl.ECAR, KNMvD Specialist

  The Netherlands

  European & KNMvD Specialist in Equine Reproduction
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  Tom qualified from Cambridge University's School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. He performed his PhD, also at Cambridge, on 'Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy in the Mare' under the supervision of Professor W.R. 'Twink' Allen at the Equine Fertility Unit in Newmarket funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board. After a short period as Lecturer in Animal Reproduction at Cambridge Tom moved to Utrecht University to become a lecturer in equine reproduction. In 2007, he was appointed to the Chair of Equine Medicine and Reproduction at the Department of Equine Sciences and also to an extraordinary Chair in Reproduction at the University of Pretoria, Department of Production Animal Sciences. 

  
  Tom is a Diplomat of the European College of Animal Reproduction (ECAR) and a Royal Dutch Veterinary Association specialist (KNMvD) in Equine Reproduction. He runs a busy clinical discipline working on all aspects of equine reproduction, with increasing emphasis on assisted reproduction and diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Tom's research interests are focussed on fertilisation, early embryonic development and early pregnancy loss in mares and in the relationships between semen quality and fertility in stallions. He is also involved in studies into semen quality and early embryonic development in farm animal and wildlife species and contraceptive techniques for the management of wild animal populations.

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  Jonathan Pycock
  BVetMed, PhD, Dipl.ESM, MRCVS

  United Kingdom

  RCVS Specialist in Equine Medicine (Reproduction) (UK)
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  Jonathan is a world-renown expert in equine reproduction based in Yorkshire, England. He is a prolific publisher of papers and book chapters on equine reproduction, and edited the iconinc text, Equine Reproduction and Stud Medicine. He has worked successfully in private practice (developed his own first opinion and referral equine reproduction practice from scratch) as well as teaching and research. Jonathan has been a Member of Council of BEVA for 9 years and currently President Elect.  An enthusiastic provider of CPD, he delivers around 65 days of CPD annually, both within the UK and overseas.  He has contributed as a speaker or chairman of a session at every BEVE Congress for the last 25 years and is responsible for the BEVA Reproductive Ultrasound Course, which has been a sold-out course annually for the last 20 years.

  In 2012, Jonathan became an Equine Claims Consultant for the Veterinary Defence Society in the UK, in which capacity he has acted as an expert witness on many occasions. Jonathan’s main veterinary interests include ultrasonography, breeding the problem mare, and artificial insemination. His well-recognised sense of humour makes him a popular speaker at CPD events world-wide, and a very relaxed and relatable practical instructor.

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  Juan Samper
  DVM, MSc, PhD, Dipl.ACT

  United States

  American Specialist in Theriogenology
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  Upon graduating from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the National University in Colombia, Dr. Samper worked in private dairy and equine practice for a couple of years in his home country and subsequently he earned his Master’s and PhD at the University of Minnesota which focused on reproductive physiology and clinical reproduction. He then became a board-certified specialist in Theriogenology. From there he accepted a faculty position at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Three years later he joined a mixed practice in Vancouver BC as an associate, and a year and a half later he started his own practice, as a solo practitioner, which later grew into a multi-vet practice, which he sold after 25 years. He has also worked as an associate professor at Kansas State University and in industry for Sexing Technologies. In 2014 he joined the faculty at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine where he worked as an associate dean for clinical affairs and professional opportunities at mentoring and monitoring the progress of the clinical year veterinary students in all their clinical affiliates around the world. Currently, Dr. Samper is a professor and serves as the associate dean for academic and student affairs at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida.

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  Joan Carrick
  BVSc, MVSc, PhD, Dipl.ACVIM (LAIM)

  Australia

  Australian Registered Specialist in Equine Medicine
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  Joan graduated from the University of Queensland’s Veterinary School in 1981, and was awarded a post graduate honours degree in Equine Medicine in 1984, for investigating the role of stress on the absorption of colostrum by newborn foals.  Joan spent 12 years working and studying in North American where she completed a residency in Large Animal Medicine and a Master of Veterinary Science at the WCVM, University Saskatchewan, Canada, for investigating the safe use of flunxin meglumine in newborn foals. In 1993 Dr. Carrick and was awarded a PhD by the University of Georgia, for investigating the effects of fish oils on the response of animals to endotoxin and then did a fellowship in critical care at the University of Tennessee Medical School and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Joan gained experience in gross and histopathology of neonatal foals, clinical pathology of endotoxic and septic shock horses as well as in clinical internal medicine of all large animals.

  While in North America, Joan frequently lectured about inflammation, shock, intensive care and omega-3 fatty acids to veterinarians, human intensive care specialists and biomedical researchers in the USA, Canada and Europe.  In 1997, she returned to Australia to work in equine practice including at Oakey Veterinary Hospital and the University of Melbourne. Joan joined the Scone Equine Hospital in 2005 as the veterinary advisor for the SEH laboratory and to complete RIRDC funded research into placentitis. This research resulted in a very successful clinical program to identify and treat mares with high risk pregnancies. Joan is currently a specialist consultant who manages high risk pregnant mares. This involves investigating the causes of a pregnancy loss or delivery of a critically ill neonate, then monitoring and treating mares in subsequent pregnancies so that healthy foals are born.

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  Angus McKinnon
  BVSc, MSc, DACT, DipVetMed., Diplomate ABVP

  Australia

  Australian Registered Specialist in Equine Reproduction
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  Angus graduated from Melbourne University in 1978, and worked in private practice for a year, before heading to Ontario Veterinary College, Guelph, Ontario, Canada in 1980 to work and study for a Diploma in Large Animal Medicine. He continued at Ontario Veterinary College as Assistant Professor in Large Animal Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction for the period 1982-84. Angus then travelled to Colorado State University, USA, where he was employed as Assistant Professor in Equine Reproduction and Field Service 1984-1988, and as Associate Professor in Equine Medicine and Field Service 1988.

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  Charles Love
  DVM, PhD, Dipl.ACT

  United States

  Diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists
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  Dr. Charles Love is a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS) and directs the Flow Cytometer Laboratory at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS). He received his DVM from the University of Missouri, his PhD in Comparative Medical Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

  With numerous manuscripts, book chapters, and invited presentations to his credit, he is an internationally recognized authority on stallion reproduction. Dr. Love’s research focuses on the relationship of sperm laboratory measures to fertility, improving techniques for collection, analysis, and storage of semen, and development of record-analysis systems for critically studying the fertility of stallions.

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  Camilo Hernández-Avilés
  DVM

  United States

  Doctoral Theriogenology Student
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  Camilo Hernández-Avilés, DVM is a doctoral student with the Section of Theriogenology in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS). He received his DVM at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (National University of Colombia) in 2018. While in veterinary school, he spent three years as an undergraduate research assistant in the theriogenology department, conducting research focused on the validation of fluorescence-based techniques for semen analysis in horses, bulls, boars, and dogs. He also conducted two studies to standardize semen freezing protocols for Paso Fino Horse stallions and working dogs in his native Colombia.

  Before receiving his DVM degree, Dr. Hernández-Avilés joined the Section of Theriogenology at Texas A&M as a visiting scholar under the supervision of Dr. Dickson Varner and Dr. Charles Love. During this period, he conducted research focused on the effect of antibiotics and energy substrates on the quality of stallion sperm following cooled storage. After graduation from veterinary school, Dr. Hernández-Avilés and his wife opened a private practice in their native Colombia, offering reproductive consultation for several Paso Fino Horse breeding operations.

  In February of 2019, he started his doctoral program under the supervision of Dr. Varner, Dr. Love, and Dr. Terje Raudsepp at the CVMBS. His doctoral thesis is focused on determining the molecular mechanism associated with impaired acrosome reaction in thoroughbred stallions. He is also involved in research related to stallion sperm survival during cooling and freezing, stallion sperm physiology, and the validation of laboratory-based techniques for assessing stallion sperm quality and fertility.

  His research interests are related to stallion fertility, with an emphasis in stallion sperm physiology and cryobiology, and the improvement of techniques for stallion sperm analysis and storage.

  Dr. Hernández-Avilés’ research findings have been published in various scientific journals, and presented at national and international meetings, such as the 2018 International Symposium on Equine Reproduction and the 2019 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention. He is a co-author of two book chapters about stallion semen evaluation and endometrial cytology in the mare, which will be published in the new edition of the book Diagnostic Cytology and Hematology of the Horse (Wiley).

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  Luisa Ramírez-Agámez
  DVM

  United States

  Graduate Theriogenology Student
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  Dr. Luisa Ramírez-Agámez is a graduate student in the Section of Theriogenology and the Molecular Cytogenetics Laboratory in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS) and the Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences (VIBS) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) in spring 2021. She received her DVM at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (National University of Colombia) in 2017. In August 2018, she and her husband opened a private practice in their native Colombia, offering reproductive consultation for several Paso Fino Horse breeding operations.

  From February 2019 – February 2020, Dr. Ramírez-Agámez was a member of the Equine Embryo Laboratory as a visiting intern, where she was trained in transvaginal oocyte aspiration, oocyte and embryo manipulation, and cryopreservation. At the same time, she conducted a research project focused on determining how the presence of different energy substrates might affect the capacity of stallion sperm to undergo the acrosome reaction process under in vitro conditions. This research project was done under Dr. Katrin Hinrichs’ supervision and resulted in an effective method to induce the acrosome reaction in stallion sperm without affecting sperm viability. Her findings were recently presented at the International Embryo Technologies Society Annual Meeting in New York City (2020) and at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Theriogenology (2020).

  She also is a co-author of two book chapters about endometrial cytology in the mare and stallion semen evaluation, which will be published in the new edition of the book Diagnostic Cytology and Hematology of the Horse (2020, Wiley), as well as co-author in various scientific publications related to stallion sperm physiology and preservation.

  Dr. Ramírez-Agámez will be working under Dr. Terje Raudsepp and Dr. Charles Love on projects related to equine cytogenetics and genomics and their relationship to reproduction, as well as projects focused on assisted reproductive techniques in mares.

  Her research interests are related to assisted reproductive technologies in horses, with emphasis on transvaginal oocyte aspiration, oocyte maturation and fertilization, and embryo transfer. She also has interests in stallion sperm physiology under in vitro conditions, and equine cytogenetics and genomics.

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Course Program

Venue

Brazos Valley Equine Hospital - Navasota

6999 Highway 6, Navasota, TX  77868

Phone: 936-825-2197

Website: https://bveh.com/

From Houston Airport  

Take the TX-8 Beltway W from N Terminal Rd and John F Kennedy Blvd. Continue on TX-8 Beltway W for 9 miles. Take Sam Houston Tollway W and TX-249 N to Aggie Expressway in Montgomery County for 30 miles.  Get on Hwy 6 N/TX-6 N in Navasota from TX-105 W. Merge onto Hwy 6 N/TX-6 N. Turn right into clinic parking lot. 

From William P Hobby Airport 

Take Broadway St. to the I-45 N ramp for 8 miles. Follow I-610 W and US-290 W to Hwy 6 N/TX-6 N in Walker County. Take the TX-6 exit from TX-6 N/US-290 W for 64 miles.  Follow Hwy 6 N/TX-6 N for 21 miles to the clinic on the right. 

International airports

68 miles: George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport 

89 miles: William P. Hobby Airport